Sham City
Sham City is the fictional city where the Kai Xin Girls live and the setting for most of the MHC and Exercise Girls series. Location overview The metropolis of Sham City was located on an island the size of Hong Kong in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The island was made into a British Crown colony since 1887. At the same time, the Portuguese settled in the southwestern part of the island and established a colony there in 1889. After a civil war that took place from 2003 to 2008, the British completely took control of the entire island after defeating the Portuguese and assimilating their colony through a treaty. Geography The island only has one river, the Sham River, which originates from the highest peak on the island, the Great Ghost Mountain. A strait divides the main island from a smaller island, Diamondcutters Island, which is a popular tourist spot. Climate The island also experiences a Palearctic climate due to its geographical position in the same latitude as Tokyo. The lowest recorded temperature in the region was 0 degrees Celsius, recorded during one of the island's worst winters, in January 1888. Usually snowfall occurs at the hilltops during winter, especially at the Great Ghost Mountain. The island was also affected by cyclones and typhoons, which usually follow periods of torrential downpours. Fauna The animal life on the island is represented by a mixture of mammals adapted to life in its subtropical environment. The island is also home to 450 species of birds, as well as 200 species of herptiles including snakes, lizards and frogs. Pigs, rats and civets were introduced species. Location history More information: Timeline of Sham City's history The first people to settle in the island are the Hakka, followed by Arab merchants. In the 13th century, the island is conquered by the Mongol Empire. where they settled and created a mixed community. The island became a haunt for pirates after the fall of the Mongol Empire. Eventually in the 1800s, the British and Portuguese arrive and settled in the island. In 1887, a large portion of the island is made into a British Crown colony, while the Portuguese established their colony on the island in 1889. During World War II, the island and city are taken over by the Imperial Japanese Army. The Japanese army is then expelled by the British forces with aid from the Soviet Union. Nine years after the war in 1954, the Soviets decided to annex the island as their territory. Due to a rising resistance of the locals on the island against Soviet rule, the island returned to British rule in 1984. In the 2000s, the island experienced a civil war between the British and Portuguese sides of the island, with the British victorious. The island experienced extensive urbanization under the postwar British and Soviet periods, with some Japanese companies putting investments into the construction of modern buildings. Demographics Sham City is predominantly populated by Asians, and a great majority of these Asians are Hakka Chinese. Mongolians are the second largest ethnic group on the island's population, most of them descended from the settlers from the Mongol Empire era. Other Central Asians who have emigrated to the area include Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Tajiks and Afghans, some of them deported to the island during the Soviet administration period. Other Asian minorities include Japanese, Koreans, Arabs, Indians, Bhutanese, Vietnamese and Singaporeans. Among the most numerous non-Asians living in Sham City include British, Portuguese and Russians. As for linguistics, English is an official language in Sham City. The most common Chinese dialect spoken in the island is the Hakka dialect. Non-Chinese are most likely to use their own native languages, with Portuguese, Mongolian and Russian being the most popular. Religion The religious affiliation of Sham City's population is varied due to their mixed ethnicity. A large majority of the Chinese population follow Buddhism and Taoism. Islam is the city's second largest religion, which is worshiped by the majority of Arabs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Tajiks and Afghans. About 40 mosques are built in the city, the oldest one dating back to before the Mongol Empire period. Christians comprise of about 14% of the population, and a majority of these Christians are Protestants, while the remainder belong to Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic sects. Category:Fictional countries Category:MHC locations Category:Exercise Girls locations